Local Voter Says Poll Worker Bit Him on the Nose

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A local man says he was attacked by a rover at a Brooklyn-area polling place on Tuesday, Fox 8 News reports.

Greg Flanagan, 49, said he went to the Gloria Dei Evangelical Lutheran Church on Memphis Avenue to vote Tuesday afternoon. On his way into the church, the lifelong Clevelander noticed a woman holding signs that supported a local, municipal judge.

Flanagan said after voting he saw the woman outside arguing with a man about her signs. A rover then reportedly injected himself into the dispute, insisting the woman was not meeting requirements to stay 100 feet away from the polling place.

Flanagan says he grew concerned for the woman when the rover got "animated," and scolded the poll worker for his behavior.

That's when, according to Flanagan, the rover turned around, head-butted him, then bit him "hard" on the nose.

"I was stunned by what was happening," Flanagan told Fox 8 News reporter Bill Sheil, adding that he felt that he was "in danger" during the attack that lasted less than a minute. "If it was any longer, I wouldn't have a nose," Flanagan says, "because he was going to bite it off."

Flanagan says another poll worker rushed to help by pulling the rover off of him. As police were being called, the rover left the scene.

An ambulance took Flanagan to MetroHealth Medical Center for his injuries, where he was treated and released.

Jane Platten, Director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, identified the rover as being long-time elections board worker, James Norman Williams.

Platten said Williams "has worked for eight elections since 2006, without incident."

She also said that the Cuyahoga County BOE was cooperating with police and its investigation.

Flanagan filed a police report with the Cleveland Police Department, but so far, no one has been arrested.

Stick with Fox 8 News and FOX8.com for updates on this story, as they become available.